What's Happening with Edinburgh's Plastic-Shrouded Hotel?

On one of the busiest tourist streets in the centre of Scotland's historic capital stands a imposing sight of construction framework.

For the past 60 months, a prominent hotel on the corner of the famous Royal Mile and the adjacent bridge has been a plastic-wrapped eyesore.

Travellers find no available accommodations, walkers are funneled through confined passages, and commercial tenants have vacated the building.

Restoration efforts started in 2020 and was originally estimated to last a few months, but now fed-up residents have been told the structure could remain until 2027.

Extended Timelines

The main contractor, the lead company, says it will be "towards the end" of 2026 before the earliest portions of the scaffold can be taken down.

Edinburgh's council leader a council official has called it a "negative feature" on the area, while heritage campaigners say the work is "very troublesome".

What is going on with this notoriously protracted project?

A Problematic Past

The 136-bedroom hotel was constructed on the site of the old Lothian Regional Council offices in 2009.

Figures from when it initially debuted under the Missoni Hotel banner, put the cost of construction at about a significant sum.

Work on the building got underway shortly after the start of the Covid pandemic with the hotel itself closed to guests since 2022.

A section of the street and a sizable stretch of sidewalk leading up to the intersection of the Royal Mile have been closed off by the development.

People on foot going to and from the Lawnmarket and Victoria Terrace have been compelled one after another into a tight, enclosed passage.

Seafood restaurant Ondine quit the building and relocated to St Andrews in Fife in 2024.

In a release, its owners said construction activity had obliged them to change the restaurant's appearance, adding that "guests were entitled to a superior experience".

It is also hosts restaurant chain a pizza restaurant – which has hung large signs on the framework to notify customers it is operating as usual.

Delayed Plans

An report to the council's transport and environment committee in the start of the year indicated that the process of "revealing" the exterior would begin in February, with a complete dismantling by the close of the year.

But the firm has said that is not the case, pointing to "extremely complex" structural challenges for the delay.

"We anticipate starting to remove portions of the framework close to the conclusion of the coming year, with additional work proceeding afterwards," a statement read.

"We are working closely with everyone involved to ensure we deliver an better site for the public."

Community and Heritage Concerns

A conservation official, director of heritage body the an advocacy group, said the work had reinforced the city's reputation of being "leisurely" for construction projects.

She said those involved in the project had a "civic responsibility" to minimise disruption and should incorporate the work into the city's aesthetic.

She said: "It is making the experience for those on foot in that part of town really difficult.

"It is perplexing why there is not a try to bring it into the street view or produce something more creative and avant-garde."

Continued Work

A project spokesperson said work on "solutions to aesthetically improve the site" was in progress.

They stated: "We recognize the irritations felt by the community and shops.

"This represents a extended and complex process, reflecting the complexity and size of the restoration required, however we are focused on completing this essential work as soon as is possible."

Ms Meagher said the local authority would "maintain pressure" on those responsible to wrap up the project.

She said: "This structure has been a blight for years, and I understand the annoyance of inhabitants and area enterprises over these continued delays.

"That said, I also recognize that the contractor has a responsibility to make the building structurally sound and that this restoration has proved to be hugely complex."